La Hirondelle 110

 

I hoist Stargazer’s cruising chute, by moonlight. To harness the northerly ‘land breeze,’ which has set in overnight. Driven by warm air rising from a Normandy countryside, still perspiring from yesterday’s heat. Above us, a swirling canopy of stars.

Almost imperceptibly the sky brightens, into a pearlescent dawn. A pallid sun struggles upward, through billows of sea fog, which lurk in the Channel. Within an hour, its heat is enough to still the land breeze. As it warms the sea’s surface.

The true wind speed (TWS) drops to two knots. Stargazer needs six to eight, even with the help of the cruising chute. Motoring creates some apparent wind speed (AWS). But brings the apparent wind angle (AWA) forward to twenty three degrees. Sixty is the highest angle, at which the cruising chute will fly.

There is nothing for it, but to motor bare-headed. Putting what airflow we can across the mainsail, until a breeze returns. From whatever direction.

A tanker drops anchor, waiting for orders. Quickly able to rejoin the Channel shipping lanes (in either direction), when they arrive. She lies bows east. Indicating that the tide is running against Stargazer, for now.

The Caen ferry thunders in, on the port beam. The AIS predicts a closest point of approach (CPA) of two hundred metres. Stargazer throttles back and makes a thirty degree change of course. To show clearly that we intend to cross astern.

Fifteen miles out, I begin to prepare lines and fenders. By the time I have finished, our northerly breeze has returned. Ten to twelve knots true belly Stargazer’s main and jib. The engine falls silent. Leaving only the rush of water and the sigh of the wind.

With a fair tide under her, Stargazer skims effortlessly over a lightly ruffled sea, making a little over six knots.

An Arpege skips out, from the shore, for an afternoon sail. Waving merrily as she passes.

The high chalk cliffs come into a sharper focus, emerging through the heat haze.

Stargazer is broad reaching, at seven knots. Parallel to the Le Havre approach channel. Watching, by eye and AIS, for a gap in the shipping. In which to cross to the north side, and enter port.